IELTS Listening Practice Test | 2026-01-16

**Travel Agent:** Good afternoon. Italia Breaks. My name's Margaret. How can I help you?
**Customer:** Hi, [clears throat] I'd like to book a short break in Italy. Hotel and flights combined.
**Travel Agent:** Anywhere in particular?
**Customer:** Yes, Venice, if possible. We've been looking at some of your brochures, and I want to check if you have any special deals.
**Travel Agent:** Right. Let's have a look and see what we've got. Right. Okay. I've got the screen up. Can you just give me a few personal details?
**Customer:** Sure.
**Travel Agent:** First, can I just take your name, please, and a contact telephone number?
**Customer:** Certainly. It's John Framlington. That's F-R-A-M-L-I-N-G-T-O-N. And I'll give you my mobile number. I can't always remember it. Yes, here it is. It's 92...
**Travel Agent:** That's it. And how many people is it for?
**Customer:** Just two adults.
**Travel Agent:** Okay. Any particular price range?
**Customer:** It's our first wedding anniversary.
**Travel Agent:** Congratulations.
**Customer:** Thank you. So, we wanted somewhere nice but not too expensive. We would like to make it something to remember. Maybe in the medium price range.
**Travel Agent:** Okay. How many nights do you plan to stay?
**Customer:** Five nights only. That gives us plenty of time to do sightseeing and to relax.
**Travel Agent:** Right. That's five nights only. And what type of hotel?
**Customer:** We initially thought of going for a five-star, but that might be too expensive. So, we've been looking at four-star hotels.
**Travel Agent:** We've got quite a few in our brochure, but the one I would recommend is the Hotel Scotland. It's four-star, and I know there are rooms available because I have just made a booking for another client there.
**Customer:** I didn't notice that one. I don't know how I didn't see it.
**Travel Agent:** It's easy to miss them. I've also stayed there myself as we sometimes have to go and check out the hotels. And of all the ones I visited, this was my favorite.
**Customer:** Oh, right.
**Travel Agent:** What's the hotel like? It has a courtyard for breakfast. It's got 50 rooms. It's just been renovated and so it's very stylish.
**Customer:** Is it in the brochure?
**Travel Agent:** It's on page 63.
**Customer:** Ah, yes. I can see it's right next to the railway station. [clears throat] But what appeals to me most of all is that the hotel's very convenient for all the water buses and the idea of having a terrace with the room I really find very appealing. These are big pluses.
**Travel Agent:** It's probably the most central hotel we have. You might think it would be a bit noisy as it's in the main commuter area and a place where tourists go, but from experience, I can assure you the hotel is very quiet. Most of the rooms are facing away from the main thoroughfare. Can you tell me when you'd like to leave?
**Customer:** The 17th of March. Coming back on the 22nd.
**Travel Agent:** Okay, I'll just check again if there are places available. Two adults sharing Hotel Scotland. Yes, that's gone through. Okay. And how much is the break including flights? There's a special rate at the moment because it's off season for five nights. Let's see. It's £716 for a double room and flights. That includes airport taxes, but not insurance.
**Customer:** Each?
**Travel Agent:** No, for two adults sharing.
**Customer:** That doesn't sound too bad at all. What reductions do you have at the moment?
**Travel Agent:** Well, if you make the booking before the 17th of February, you get a further 15% reduction subject to availability.
**Customer:** That's a big saving.
**Travel Agent:** Yes, it makes the price very reasonable indeed. Do you need travel insurance?
**Customer:** Yes, I suppose we better had.
**Travel Agent:** For 7-day cover for both of you. It's £17.88.
**Customer:** Okay.
**Travel Agent:** Do you want to book today?
**Customer:** I think we should, but can I just check with my wife? Can you hold the booking for me?
**Travel Agent:** I can hold it until 1:00 p.m.
**Customer:** Okay, that's fine. I'll get back to you immediately.
**Travel Agent:** I'll just give you a reference for the reservation.
**Customer:** Okay.
**Travel Agent:** It's F-A-P-S-J-M-1-5.
**Customer:** Thanks. I'll get back to you as soon as I can and definitely before 1:00 p.m. This is too good an offer to miss.

Have you imagined paddling around on a river in a small boat? Canoes, which are narrow boats and usually hold one or two people at the most, are particularly well known for being unstable and turning over in the water. But more and more people [clears throat] enjoy this dangerous sport. Today, Cynthia Botchi, an adult education teacher and an addict of canoeing as well, will share her experience of canoeing with us.
**Interviewer:** Cynthia, when did you begin this sport?
**Cynthia:** Well, I started it six or seven years ago, and soon I got attracted by the exercise. I have to admit that it brings me great fun. It's become part of my life.
**Interviewer:** So, could you describe how you do it?
**Cynthia:** At first, I think you need some likeminded friends. The friends who share the same interest with you. It's no fun at all if you canoe alone. Usually, we assemble in a parking shelter near the island lake recreation area. We pull our canoes from inside the vans, lift them from atop the cars and trucks, and attach wheels to help transport them to the shores of the lake beside the boat dock.
**Interviewer:** What equipment do you need for the sport?
**Cynthia:** Well, first and foremost, a canoe. Of course, the price ranges from £300 to £700, depending on the material they're made from. The more you can pay, the better, really. Personally, I wouldn't look at anything under £500, but that obviously depends on your budget. You also need a hard helmet to protect yourself against rocks when you fall out of the canoe. And believe me, that is very likely to happen. Because of this, it's a must for a beginner to wear a wet suit. Oh, bathing suits don't work really. Sometimes a life jacket is a necessity in case you fall into water and no one else is nearby.
**Interviewer:** Maybe many can't understand your passion for the dangerous sport. Do you think it's all worth it?
**Cynthia:** Absolutely. I just love it. It's exciting, exhilarating, yet it's peaceful and it's calm. You can work as hard as you want to or you can take it easy.
In addition to having fun, canoeing offers a workout without realizing you're working out. Besides being a great exercise, which is good to heart and lungs, you gain strength and mobility. You build strength not only by paddling, but also from lifting and carrying your canoes. You can also exercise your mobility. Frankly, I never had upper body strength until I started canoeing. Now I can pick my canoe up and carry it on my shoulder with no problem. However, it's not just a workout of the upper body, but also a total body workout. If you're doing it correctly, it's a great calorie burner.
And more important to me, paddling isn't strictly about exercise. It's as much about the peace and relaxation that comes from being out on the water. I saw it described on a brochure as liquid medicine for the soul, and that is so accurate. It allows you to take a mental break from your ordinary routine. It's a lot of fun, and you meet a lot of great people. We connect on the waterways by responding to email invitations, posting on websites, and club announcements.
Also, it's a great way to get an up-close view of nature. You can sneak up on wildlife. I've been right next to ducks, deer, and all kinds of birds. You just get a different view than you can get on land. I especially enjoy camping by canoe. It's like backpacking without having to carry a pack on your back. You can put everything you need in the hatches of the canoe.
Well, whatever you say about this sport, it's never dull. I think on one level, it's a serious activity and you can become a real champion, but it's a small group who take it that far, but for most, it's a fantastic sport for anyone who likes adventure.

**Isabelle:** Hi Joe. Hi Paul.
**Joe:** Oh hi Paul. I've heard you've been stressing out about your presentation on art.
**Paul:** I am. Are you still going to talk about the different types of art?
**Isabelle:** Yes. Well, I was planning to, but there's so much stuff on the subject that I'm finding it difficult to put it all into one short presentation.
**Joe:** Huh. I usually have the opposite problem. There's nothing worse than going blank, forgetting your words in front of a group of people.
**Paul:** Well, the problem is that I don't know how to organize what I want to say in the presentation.
**Isabelle:** Well, you know everything there is to know about the subject. It's just a question of selecting what you want to talk about.
**Paul:** Well, there's a lot to discuss about the different periods in art.
**Isabelle:** That's a good way to start. Then you can bring in how specific types of art were popular in each period.
**Paul:** Yes. Like how sculpture was popular in the classical period and paintings were popular in the Renaissance period, and how now a wide variety of media are used to create modern art.
**Joe:** As long as you keep it concise because it's a large area. There are so many periods and movements in art and you don't want to just list them one by one.
**Isabelle:** I agree. An explanation of the movements and periods in art wouldn't be too long.
**Paul:** You're right. I need to just pick out some key points. Just mention the periods quickly so that I can move on to the real topic of the presentation.
**Isabelle:** Yes, the variety of art like sculpture, paintings, installations.
**Joe:** I have an idea. Why don't you prepare a timeline to show to the class? That would be a nice visual and it would focus your ideas so you don't get too sidetracked.
**Paul:** Great idea. It would certainly cut down on time.
**Isabelle:** Right. Then where are we? You'll begin with a very short introduction to the historical periods of art. Then you'll talk about popular types of art within these periods. That's sorted. Maybe you could also mention some key works of art in each period like the Venus de Milo or The Scream by Edvard Munch and give some interesting facts on them.
**Paul:** That's not a bad idea because it does give people a frame of reference when I talk about specific kinds of art. After giving a historical context, I [clears throat] should really talk about different forms of art. Shouldn't I?
**Isabelle:** Yes, you should.
**Joe:** After that, you can conclude with a question on what is considered to be art. Now, that would be really interesting.
**Paul:** Yes, comparing the traditional views of art with modern views.
**Joe:** Exactly.
**Paul:** I think I'll have a collection of pictures, including famous pieces of art from classic to modern projected on the wall, like the Mona Lisa and some pop art, and ask people whether they think it's art or not.
Showing some famous works and asking people what art is would certainly lead to discussion in the room. People's appreciation of art is so subjective and it comes down to taste. That's what I'm hoping for, some disagreement to liven up the presentation.
**Joe:** And you could stick in some really controversial ones like graffiti and modern art installations in between pieces of art that are universally accepted, like the work of the Renaissance painters.
**Paul:** Sounds good to me. I have to say I really don't understand some modern art myself. There was one recently that was just a pile of rubbish. It doesn't require much skill to create, does it? And what does it mean? There's no point to it.
**Isabelle:** Actually, Joe, I like some modern art. It makes you look at the world in a different way. Artists now have the freedom to express themselves completely.
**Joe:** Yes. But there is an idea now that anything can be art. I've heard of paintings being sold for large sums of money which have been done by small children and animals. Now that's ridiculous.
**Isabelle:** Oh, you could find one of those paintings and put it in your presentation, couldn't you, Paul? That would really be interesting.
**Paul:** Well, Paul, what do you think?
**Paul:** I like it. Just thinking. I'll need to do some more research to find pictures for the slideshow.
**Isabelle:** Yes, we can help you. Can't we, Joe?
**Joe:** Of course. If you go to the fine art section of the library, I'm sure you'll find everything you need. Just ask the staff and they'll give you access to a slide bank of hundreds of famous works of art. And if you still can't find what you're looking for, use the library computers to go online. There are lots of images on the internet. Of course, you'll need to use a search engine like Google, but it's dead easy.
**Paul:** Thanks guys. I'm feeling much clearer about the project. Your ideas have been really useful. I think I should end with a quote of some kind by a famous artist. What do you think?
**Isabelle:** That's a good idea. Now, let's go to the library and see what they have.

**Lecturer:** Today Liz is going to give her presentation. Liz.
**Liz:** For my presentation I looked at the different forms of advertising, especially at how women are portrayed by the media.
**Lecturer:** So, Liz, tell us what different forms of advertising you looked at.
**Liz:** As you can see from the outline on the screen, I looked at a wide variety of different media, including billboards, television ads, newspapers, and of course, the internet. Oh, yes, I almost forgot. I also looked at films.
**Lecturer:** And what was your main finding?
**Liz:** Well, I've brought some samples in to show everyone, which I hope will make it a little clearer. But first of all, I'd like to take a look at this first advert, which is from, believe it or not, a popular women's magazine. Now, even though this is a women's magazine, as you can see, women are portrayed in what we might call a submissive role. That is to say, they are always the ones doing the housework, going shopping, or caring for the baby. In fact, you may notice that most adverts concerned with household products such as cleaning materials as well as food and baby items are generally directed at women. Another thing you may notice about the women is that they are nearly always very slim and beautiful, even middle-aged women. None of them are ever shown to be poorly dressed or to be overweight.
**Lecturer:** So Liz, how are men normally portrayed in these adverts?
**Liz:** Well, if you take a look at the next picture, which is in fact from the same magazine, you will notice that men are seen to be strong, powerful, and in charge. They give the image of being in charge, being the ones who make the decisions. And generally they are dressed either in sports clothes showing their prowess or fitness or a business suit which serves to depict their social status.
**Lecturer:** You mentioned that you also looked at films. Do these same images apply to the movie industry?
**Liz:** Yes, they do indeed. And again, I have some images to show you. This time, however, I've arranged the pictures so that you can see clearly the different roles that men and women play in the films. Notice, first of all, that it is the man who is in charge. He's the one driving a big luxurious car and constantly contacting the office on his mobile phone. Now, if we look over here to the women, we see she is subservient to the man. She's his secretary, in fact. And if we take a look at her office, we see it's shared by other women and open to the public. In contrast, her boss's office, who is the man of course, has a very large, spacious office all to himself. And if the woman wants to enter, she first has to get his permission. That is to say, she has to first of all knock at the door and wait until he invites her to enter. However, if the man wants to talk to the woman, he simply picks up the phone and requests her attention.
**Lecturer:** Are there any images where women are not shown to be of a lower social status to men?
**Liz:** No, there aren't. Well, very few. In fact, there are of course times when the woman, for example, is playing the part of a scientist with a man as her assistant. Yet, even here, she is not in a position to make decisions. Decisions, in fact, are still made by her boss, who of course is a man. In other less extreme conditions, such as we can see here, the woman is playing the role of a housewife and mother, while her husband goes out to work to earn the money. In other words, the man is seen to have more control over the situation than the woman who has to rely upon her husband for her livelihood.
**Lecturer:** So, how far do you think this reflects real life?
**Liz:** That's hard to say because generally women do tend to do more housework and cooking than men. It is generally accepted that women are better able to care for children. But the problem is that we are told through the media that women are not as capable or as strong as men, that women are not as able as men to make important decisions. This, of course, is totally untrue. Many women are at least as capable as men at making decisions, more so in some cases.
**Lecturer:** Are women ever seen in the media to be superior to men?
**Liz:** Very rarely, in fact. And when they are seen to be better or faster or stronger than men, they are also seen to be a freak. You know, someone with superhuman powers. In other words, they are not seen to be an ordinary person like you or me.
**Lecturer:** Why do you think that is?
**Liz:** It's probably because if people know it's too ridiculous to be true, then they are not going to believe it. This way, it won't harm men's image.
**Lecturer:** So, what's the internet like?
**Liz:** In fact, I think the internet is probably the worst of all the media. I don't know why exactly, but I think it's probably because there is little or no control over the internet. Instead, the internet is seen as a type of no man's land, if you like. That is to say, it's not actually owned by one person or one company. Therefore, people are free to put whatever information on the internet they want.
**Lecturer:** So, would you say that information on the internet should be censored?
**Liz:** I think there should be some control over the internet because some of the images are dangerous.
**Lecturer:** Dangerous?
**Liz:** Yes, indeed. For adults, I guess it's not such a big problem because mature people are able to decide for themselves what to believe and what not to believe. But children are a different matter. They accept information that is presented to them without questioning that information or considering the consequences of believing it. In other words, children believe what they see or what they are told.
**Lecturer:** And how do other people feel about information on the internet?
**Liz:** Actually, I carried out a survey to find out other people's opinions. As you can see from this chart, the majority of people over the age of 28 were in favor of restricting the information. It was only people under the age of 20 who really thought that information shouldn't be censored. In fact, only about 8% said that information on the internet should be restricted in some way.
**Lecturer:** Well, thank you, Liz. That was a very interesting topic, and I'm sure that if any of you have any questions, Liz would be more than happy to answer them.